Old images of corpses floating in Ganga are passed off as recent ones - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 17, 2021
Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, multiple media agencies reported that scores of corpses were floating along the banks of Ganga in Uttar Pradesh & Bihar. It is in this context that several social media users are sharing images of corpses floating along the riverbanks attributing them to the current discovery of corpses in Ganga. A couple of such social media posts can be seen here, here, and here. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claims made in these posts.
Claim: Recent images of corpses floating in Ganga.
Fact: All these are old images clicked back in 2008, 2012 & 2007 on the banks of river Ganga in Varanasi & Haridwar. These images have nothing to do with recent discovery of corpses floating in Ganga. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Image 1:
This image is actually clicked way back in 2008 near Varanasi ghat in Uttar Pradesh. Reverse image search of this photo yielded the same image on Alamy, a stock image repository.  The description of the image on this website reads ‘Dog eating dead man on Varanasi ghat, Uttar Pradesh, India’.
Image 2:
Reverse image search of this photo led us to the same photo on Getty Images, a stock image repository. As per the details related to this image provided on this website, the image was clicked back in 2012 on the banks of river Ganga in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
Image 3:
Reverse image search of this photo led us to the same photo on Flickr, an American image and video hosting platform. The description of the image reads ‘dead body in Ganga, Haridwar’. According to Flickr, the image was clicked back in 2007.
It is true that scores of dead bodies of alleged COVID-19 patients were discovered floating along the banks of Ganga in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Multiple news agencies have also reported the same. However, the above images shared in the post are old and have nothing to do with COVID-19.
Dead bodies found buried in sand near river Ganga in UP's Unnao
"Our team has found buried bodies in an area far from river. Search being conducted for more bodies in other areas. I've asked team to carry out inquiry. Action will be taken accordingly," said DM (12.05) pic.twitter.com/qFT1tpfsjH
To sum it up, old images of corpses floating in Ganga are passed off as recent ones.